Three days after his England Test call-up, Jordan Cox is set to undergo a delayed scan for a side injury sustained in the 2025 County Championship.
Cox was named in England’s squad for the historic one-off Test against Zimbabwe. He is one of the two uncapped players in the outfit alongside his Essex vice-captain Sam Cook.
On the day (May 2) of England’s squad announcement, Cox scored 26 for Essex against Somerset at Taunton. Essex posted 206, securing a 61-run first-innings lead. In the second innings, Cox was nearing a century when he dived for a run and appeared in pain. Batting on 99 at that point, he resumed after receiving treatment and went on to score his 10th first-class hundred before retiring hurt for 103.
He didn’t bat further due to a side strain. The injury occured just two days after his England Test call-up.
Jordan Cox set for scans after injury
After the third day's play, Essex captain Tom Westley provided an update on Cox’s injury. He explained that scans couldn’t be conducted on Sunday (the day of the injury) but would be arranged as early as possible on Monday (May 5) to assess the severity. Westley also praised Cox’s fighting innings en route to his century.
"Jordan [Cox] has a problem with his side, which our medical staff are in the process of assessing. Unfortunately, because it is a Sunday, it has not been possible to get the injury scanned. Hopefully, that will happen as soon as possible tomorrow and we will know a lot more then. He played a tremendous innings, and it was a shame he was not able to go on," Westley updated.
Cox's history with untimely injuries
Having already played three ODIs and T20Is in 2024, a Test cap has somehow eluded Cox despite being named in the England Test squad previously. England had included him in the squad for the three-match Test series at home against Sri Lanka, but he didn’t get a game. During the New Zealand tour, he was all set to keep wicket when Jamie Smith was on paternity leave, but a broken right thumb kept his debut on hold.
The one-off Test against Zimbabwe between May 22 and 25 – Zimbabwe’s first on English soil since 2003 – marks Cox’s third Test call-up. However, his availability now hinges on the scan results.
